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Assassin Brotherhood
"We work in the dark to serve the light, we are Assassins." The Assassin Brotherhood, or the Assassin Order, is a largely underground corp of warriors/Assassins lead by one Grandmaster Assassin (Ulysses Septimus) whose influence spreads across the Spiral as they waged a continuous battle against the Templars, their sworn enemies. Largely identified with the Valencian Branch of the Order where the Grandmaster's seat of power sits, the Order exists in all worlds of the Spiral and are far more complex than one could believe. Description The Assassin Order is an elite corp of assassins, spread across the worlds of the Spiral, that aimed to keep peace within the Spiral through the means of assassinations of important political figures that they consider corrupt. Lead by one being referred to as "Grand Master General", the Order's influence spreads far and wide in the Spiral, usually operating underground, with the exception of the Valencian Assassin Branch, which allied itself (under the orders of the current Grand Master Ulysses Septimus) with the Valencian Armada and openly declared themselves the enemies of the pirates and of the Resistance. However, it should also be noted that not all who calls themselves Assassins are allies of the Order; for example, the Skull Island Assassin Branch, founded by the Templar Grand Master Atticus Mercilus, are the sworn enemies of the Order. Despite their name, many of the Assassins would actually fight on the front lines (known as the "Paladin Knights" to some, they are commanded entirely by the Order's monarch, the Grand Master General); not afraid to use all out wars alongside of their master stealth killers to get what they want. The Assassins are also the sworn enemies of the Templar Order, for while they both strived to save humanity and the general population of the Spiral, the Templars sought to control free will, whereas the Assassins believed that strictly upheld law, order, and justice is the truest way to peace, for the survival of individuality would ensure the growth of new ideas and moving forward. It was said that the Order was founded near the beginning of the Valencian Monarchy by a man referred to commonly as Darius the Enlightened. The Paladin Knights Main article: ''The Paladin Knights The Paladin Knights, sometimes called the Carolean Knights or just Paladins, are the frontline fighting soldiers of the Assassin Order. They are divided into the two groups - infantry and cavalry - which are then divided into subclasses. It was said that the Paladins are founded by Darius the Enlightened himself, making them even older than the clockwork Armada itself. Some even suspected that the Paladins are what spawned the idea of the Armada, therefore, they could be considered as the proto-Armada, seeing that both of the organizations had a leader named as the Supreme Commander. The Paladins are largely responsible for fighting on the front lines during the Polarian War, in the name of the Order as well as alongside of the clockwork Armada, against the Templar influenced Polarian forces. Regiments of heavy cavalry (which is what gave the Paladins their name) often were sent into the worlds first to fight alongside of clockworks, with the most notable of them all being the battle of Fraustadt, where the heavy regiment the Sixteenth collaborated with Militus Betus' Black Cavalry and totally decimated Napoleguin's forces there against staggering odds, winning a decisive victory for Valencia. During the reign of the current Grandmaster Ulysses, the Paladins became his escort guards, similar to the Marleybonean Queen Guard, although they are largely absent from the battle of Skull Island during the final segments of ''Valencian Legend, ''although many of the Order's Master Assassins participated, including the Assassin Governor Arno Victor Dorian who had been summoned from the world of Polaris. Hierarchy The Order of the Assassins largely maintained the hierarchy organized by the first Grandmaster Darius, although changes have been made to it by the two known as the Renaissance Assassins Ulysses and Cristobal Auditore. Under Ulysses, he brought a new level of organization to the elite council formed by the previous Grandmaster in order he might tighten his control over each of the worlds that is already under the Assassin influence. From top to bottom, the order remains - 'Grandmaster: The single leader of the entire Assassin Order, best of the best and chosen almost always because they embody the Creed in itself. Informally, they are known as the Assassin King, for this individual is also the best of the Assassins, usually racking up an impressive record of kill counts and military feats against the Templar Order alongside of their physical prowess. Currently, the title of Grandmaster is used interchangeably with the title of the Supreme Commander of the Paladin Knights. -''Advisor'': The Grandmaster's entrusted second in command. They are the ones that strive to ensure everything the Grandmaster does remains in line with the Order's Creed, as well as that it is for the best of the Order's interests. Sometimes, the Advisor is also given the title of Mentor for their contributions to the secrets guarded by the Order, for they are almost always a much, much older and experienced Assassin, sometimes even the previous Grandmaster. As of now, the position of Advisor is held by the Royal Engineer, Cristobal Auditore de la Faiz. -''Elite Council'': The council of elite Assassin Governors of the worlds under the command of the Assassin Order. Each of them are not chosen upon their physical prowess and intellct, as how the Grandmaster was usually selected, but by merit and contributions to the Order alone, especially those in the area of intellect. The Grandmaster sits at the head of the Council as the Supreme Governor as well as the governor to his own world. Every year, they congress for a large - scale meeting in the headquarters of the Valencian Assassins with the Grandmaster to report in on the progress of the worlds they are leading. Currently, the Elite Council consists of the following. * Ulysses Septimus: Valencia * Takeshi Asakura: Mooshu * Arno Dorian: Polaris * Connor Kenway: Marleybone * Jace McCree: Cool Ranch * Aetius Varius: Aquila * Andre Mandoza: Monquista -''Master Assassins (Valencian: ''Assassini Maestri): Senior ranked Assassins who have racked up a impressive record of kills and feats for their names to be well known through their world. They are differentiated from the regular ranked ''Assassini ''in that they have seen to the death of at least one Templar leader by their hands alone, and are usually seen in much more elaborate robes when a Assassin initiate goes through their promotion ceremony: often in the traditional white and red of the Assassins, with a long, layered lower section parted down the middle, coupled with the red sash of the Assassins carrying the insignia of the Order. -''Assassins'' (Valencian: Assassini): The regulars of the Order, although they are not limited to team missions as the recruits are, they remain under the tutorship of a master Assassin who will continue to do so, until they have achieved something that is impressive enough for them to rise to the rank of a master themselves. More often than not, they are the ones serving in the Paladin Knights for the Order as well; carrying a single Hidden Blade on their left forearm that is modified with the Hidden Gun. -''Initiates'' '(Valencian: ''Reclucti): Also known as the Recruits. They are the lowest on the Assassin Order hierarchy, and often are sent on group missions by the Grandmaster himself, overseen by a master Assassin or even one of the elites from the Council. They are not yet allowed to carry a Hidden Blade, so many of the recruits make do using concealed daggers for their main weapons alongside of throwing knives when they must execute a mission where a death is inevitable. The Creed "Nothing is true, everything is permitted."- Creed of the Assassins Members of the Order are trained from birth to use a strong set of values to govern their lives, referred to as "The Creed". The Creed consists of three tenets. 1. Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent. 2. Uphold the order and laws through subtle works. 3. Do not compromise the brotherhood. These tenets permeated every aspect of the Assassins' daily life, as well as their fight for "peace in all things". The Assassins carry out their duties through political, strategic assassination, in the hope that killing one individual will lead to the salvation of thousands (though they would also not hesitate to resort to using wars if that is needed). They also believe that they fight on the behalf of those who do not possess the abilities, resources, or knowledge to speak out against those who abuse their power. Ideals and Goals Throughout its existence, the Order pursued many ideals and goals, but their highest objective remains to bring peace to the entire Spiral, through any means that will not compromise their Creed. This lead to the Order becoming fierce opposers of criminals and tyrants and anarchists, as well as participate in fierce battles in the name of the people when they cannot fight for themselves. This lead the Assassins into becoming sworn enemies of the Templar Order, who was not afraid to employ chaos to get to what they wanted; power over the people at all cost. This being their highest goal, the Order also pursued multiple other purposes and ideals in its existence, such as improving scientific knowledge, organizing government, and creating a sense of familial bond and kinship among its members. Under Grand Master Ulysses Septimus, the Order sought to eliminate all criminals and pirates from existence as the allies of the Valencian Armada, as well as to seek revenge upon the Templar Order for the slaughter of the Aquilan Assassin Branch. Methods "Worlds, class, and language draw a boundary that is not to be crossed. But no such thing exists within the Assassin Order, for we are all brothers and sisters under one banner, with one purpose." The Order maintained a wide variety of recruiting Assassins. Individuals such as Ulysses Septimus was recruited into the Order at birth, and raised within the Brotherhood of Assassins, while others are taken from the disgruntled civilian class seeking revenge against criminals and oppressors/Templars. The Assassins will also draw recruits from defeated enemy ranks, if they realize and accept the Order's ideals and the Creed, as well as from those who believed in their policies and such. The Assassins largely targeted key individuals within the ranks of those they see as the enemy. The removal of such figures by murder is the usual and chief method preferred by Assassins; however, the Order usually asks for the individual Assassins to respect their victims, unless they are known to have comitted atrocious crimes. However, the Order also engaged in a wide range of covert operations, such as espionage, theft of items or supplies, redirection of funds, secret support to select groups, or acts of sabotage. While most of these actions were covert in nature, the Order occasionally opted for open confrontation or control of territories where it has sufficient presence, such as within the world of Valencia. In order to ascertain which deaths might best assist the Assassins' goals, target selection required extensive knowledge of contemporary politics and society. Thus, the Assassins endeavored to remain in tune with current and ongoing events. Obtaining information was the job of low-level members of the Order, who would be stationed throughout the worlds of the Spiral. These spies would observe local events and figures, watching for signs of membership to the Templar Order, criminal activity, or just corruption. Once sufficent information is gathered, they are passed along to the Assassin branch headquarters of the world, where a Governor (a master Assassin appointed by the Grand Master as the leader of the branch) would determine the action needed against them. Despite the Order's service to those who would suffer, they are feared by the general population due to their method of taking life in public, before witnesses. Even more so with the fact that the Assassins are known allies of the Armada, for they are often ruthless in upholding the ideals of the clockworks. Practices Induction into the Order The Assassin Order had adopted many ways of recruiting initials into the Order over the centuries it existed underground. Individuals such as the current ruling Grandmaster Ulysses is inducted into the Order at a fairly young age due to family relationships, others such as Arno and Jace McCree are born into the Order due to Assassin parents. Once a potential recruit has sworn their loyalty to the Order, the Grandmaster would appoint a senior ranked Assassin with the task of observing the recruit as well as testing said recruit for their capabilities over a certain period of time that depends on the recruit themselves. Some had to spend years (albeit unknowingly) to prove their worth and loyalty to the Order before they were given the official rank of reclucta of the Order, others were brought in at seemingly lightning speed, especially if they were able to prove their worth in taking down a major Templar leader such as in the case of the Assassin turncoat Atticus Mercilus. Training Recruits were always trained by a senior Assassin of the master rank, spending their entire lives honing their ability to kill. Combat skills of all kinds were taught to an Assassin, starting from open combat down to stealth fighting for them to quietly take down a target either up close or from a distance, which is the core of all Assassin teachings as it is vital for a Assassin to be able to sneak up on a target, dispatch them, and escape the scene unnoticed. They were also trained in free running, one of the signature skills of a Assassin for the sake of escaping a tight situation or retracting themselves from a particularly dangerous mission, seeing that maneuverability was essential for a Assassin to remove themselves from the scene after a mission has been carried out. By the time a Assassin reached the rank of maestro Assassino, they were also usually a master of free running, a form of parkour that allowed a Assassin to quickly and easily reach places that were otherwise inaccessible to the general public; a distinct and powerful advantage the Order had over their enemies, seeing this permitted them to quickly traverse a populated environment without attracting too much unwanted attention. Many Assassins however, are not trained from birth, and gains this experience through the multiple missions they would carry out for the Order. Others would learn to build upon their ability to free run with the help of fellow Assassins, such as Ezio Septimus teaching his younger brother Ulysses in the skill of using the climb - leap technique, or Cristobal's marksmanship skills which he had gained through his missions that he carried out all over the Spiral. It should be noted that the Order does not require a specific style of fighting, and each branch of the Order specializes in their own ways. For example, Valencian Assassins Ulysses and Ezio Septimus are both masters of dueling, adding a flourishing grace to their combat styles as befitting to the duelists of Valencia; McCree on the other hand, prefers his twin peacemaker styled pistols in place of his Hidden Blades while Asakura is often seen in the armor of a Mooshu Samoorai and fights almost identical to one if one is to ignore his murderous style. Initiation as a Full Assassin Once a recruit is ready to become an Assassin, they are presented with a new set of ceremonial robes by their master and teacher, then brought before the throne of the Assassin King in a elaborate ceremony where they would pledge loyalty to the Assassin Order. It is a occasion that is heavily emphasized by the Order, and all is expected to attend: master Assassins would be dressed in their ceremonial robes, and the king himself seated atop the throne in the throne chamber at the Krokotopian Headquarters, which is the main HQ of the Assassin Order. The recruit would walk down an aisle formed by other recruits on either side, fist held over their heart as a sign of respect as they advance the steps that would lead up to the King's throne where they would drop to their knee and recite the oath of loyalty to the Order: "Night time has begun, and so begins my hunt. I shall not rest until the death of my enemies. I shall take no innocent lives, spare none that is guilty, harm no children nor the innocent. I will leave no trace behind me of my hunt. I am the blade in the shade, the face in the crowd, the eagle on the rooftops, the guardian of the innocent and the downtrodden. I am the guardian of men's freedom. I pledge my blade, my loyalty, my blood, to the Order of the Assassins until my king releases me from my oath. Nothing is true, everything is permitted." Once the King accepts their oath, the recruit will raise and extend their left hand, so that the King himself might place the brand that would mark their eternal loyalty upon their left ring finger. Afterwards, the recruit will turn to the crowd of Assassins and hold their left fist above their heart, showing the mark of the Assassins upon their finger, receiving a salute from their brothers and sisters in arms as they are recognized as a full member of the Order. Weaponry and Equipment The Order maintained a standard for equipment used by the Paladin soldiers, although the Assassins always had a large arsenal of weapons at their disposal. There was no set uniform for a Assassin as the Paladins were required to, although the traditional Hidden Blade was a staple of all Assassin attire as well as a eagle beak shaped hood (which was largely absent on the clothing of Corvus Marius, although this could be assumed as due to he was never formally inducted into the Order of the Assassins). Around the time of the Renaissance Assassins, from 1730's and onward, armor and robes were a favored combination by many of the Assassins in the Order such as Ulysses, though others would prefer to dress in civilian clothing to better blend in with the general population. This age marks the start of the Golden Age of the Assassins, when they would start carrying their signature weapons and when the master Assassins would sport dual Hidden Blades, thanks to the upgrades discovered by the Assassin Engineer and former Grandmaster Crisotbal. Some of those would include the poison blade and the Hidden Gun, as well as a added piece of armor plating on the second blade that would permit the Hidden Blades to be used in open conflict. Assassins during this time also specialized in multiple forms of conventional weaponry, such as swords, daggers, or even large weapons like bastard swords and polearms, the latter being much more rare and only often seen on Assassin sentries guarding the entrances to the branches or the fortresses under the command of the Order. Swords were the most common weapon wielded by a Brotherhood soldier, as seen on Septimus himself as well as the Polaris born Arno Dorian. Burial The most common form of burial for a fallen Assassin was cremation if the body could be retrieved by his fellow Assassins. The body would then be wrapped up in a white shroud, with the crimson sash representing the blood they have sworn to the Order tied around it before it would be cremated on a funeral pyre, in a solemn ceremony presided by the Grandmaster; afterwards, the ashes would be collected and buried in a sanctum situated usually beneath the branch they served at, their old weapon displayed on the wall to remember the dead that had fallen for their cause. Category:Factions Category:Armada affiliated factions